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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25888381">Private Lesson</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/Dream_Wreaver'>Dream_Wreaver</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sofia the First (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Older Sofia, Potions Accident, Realization of Feelings, Relationship Change, Released Inhibitions, cedfia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:55:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,643</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25888381</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/Dream_Wreaver</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When you're busy saving the world, sometimes your basic magic skills get forgotten. In that case, it's always good to ask one's Master for help</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cedric the Sorcerer/Sofia the First</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Private Lesson</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Don't ask, I blame my friend Angel for getting me into this ship. Now reap what you've sown. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Between the duties of both royalty, a secret librarian, and a Protector, Sofia hadn’t been back to Royal Prep in almost a decade. Hard to believe ten years had passed since she had left these halls behind. It all seemed so familiar, and it seemed almost a dream that first dreary day where the halls and the classes had seemed so daunting and dizzying, especially when displayed at the breakneck pace the fairies had gone at. The young woman entered the tri-color main building and couldn’t help the nostalgic smile that ran across her face. But she wasn’t solely here for a trip down memory lane, heavens no. She was here today on a mission, a mission to deliver an important scroll to Enchancia’s royal sorcerer, and Royal Prep’s part-time sorcery instructor; Cedric the Great. Amazing what the renown of successfully liberating a princess from an enchanted piece of jewelry could do for one’s self-confidence. Sofia had always known Cedric was a great sorcerer, he had just needed everyone else to be able to see it. In a way, she was grateful for Vor having pulled her into the amulet, it gave one of her favorite people in the world the opportunity to really show everyone just what he could do.</p><p>Hence, the request for him to take a couple of days out of the week to help teach and tutor young royals who demonstrated an aptitude for magic. His repayment being access to all the school’s magical supplies and his own workshop classroom on the campus for demonstrations and lessons. It was there she was directed with her scroll and it was there she found him. The school day had just about let out, but it didn’t mean that Cedric’s work was by any means done. He was busy scurrying about, mixing and measuring and adjusting flames and all manner of magic making. Sofia smiled, it had been quite some time since she’d been in the sorcerer’s presence.</p><p>Though to be fair, part of that had been on purpose. She’d noticed a shift in her emotions towards the man she now silently watched as he worked, but she wasn’t quite sure of what it was. Clover teased her, told her she had a crush on the clumsy magician. Which was ridiculous, Mister Cedric was her former mentor, the one who had helped her grow, the one who <em> she </em> had helped to grow. And if her time as a Story Keeper has taught her one thing, it was that happy endings came with love. So the question was; did she love him?</p><p>But was also ridiculous. Mister Cedric was her dearest friend, of course she loved him. So why did the thought of saying as much, even if only in her mind, leave her feeling like the word was so inadequate? Cedric was her first real friend that she had made upon coming to the castle. James and Amber had proven themselves siblings, Mom and Dad were Mom and Dad, Clover, Mia, and Robyn were good friends, but theirs had started out as a relationship built on doing chores for food, Baileywick and all those who worked under him were servants. And Sofia supposed if she really thought about it the position of Royal Sorcerer made Cedric sort of a servant too. And yet, he was higher than all other servants, but lower than the royalty, and clearly not as comfortable with all the trappings that came with being so close to the royal family, just like she had been.</p><p>Perhaps it had been only natural that she’d gravitated to him in response. He had always been there to lend a hand, even when his motives were selfish and less than kind. And he’d done good while doing it. Even now he continued to work tirelessly to prove himself more than his attempted coup. The positive reinforcement had done wonders for him, and he was lauded as one of the greatest magic wielders in the known kingdoms. He was doing great, and he was doing it all on his own. Perhaps that was what left her relatively maudlin, it seemed like they had accomplished so many wonderful things, but together. And yet Sofia knew that wasn’t remotely true. She’d had plenty of adventures that hadn’t involved him in the slightest. But, she wasn’t quite sure she could say the same for him. And now it felt like… like he’d outgrown her, didn’t <em> need </em> her anymore. And was she crazy for wishing she could return to the times where he would look to her for a plan, for advice on how to be a better him? The times where she didn’t feel like such a little girl the way she did compared to how everyone else had viewed her?</p><p>She was probably crazy. It was foolish to even lightly wish for something like that. She’d grown so much, accomplished so much. And everyone had seen how much she’d grown. Aunt Tilly had said she had the makings of a great adventurer should she ever desire to be. The Protectors seemed to think she’d be ready to take on her own trainee someday, even her family seemed to think that whatever course she chose she would go on to do great things. But as for Cedric? He seemed to regard her much the same as he had ever since their little heart to heart in the dungeon all those years ago. As his greatest friend. But that was it. Goodwyn and Winifred seemed to hold the same opinion, positively doting on her whenever she visited Mystic Meadows, and constantly hinting that she should gently encourage their son to accompany her on her next visit whenever that might be.</p><p>Sofia wasn’t sure how to take that beyond them missing their son and wanting him to come to them instead of them always having to go to him. Then again, every time she talked to Calista these days she seemed very pointedly interested on her interactions with the girl’s uncle. Even her mother had been distracted with knowing when the last time Sofia had spoken with the now busier than ever magician. Very casually, but it came up in conversation far more now than it ever had before. It was almost enough to make Sofia wonder why she <em> specifically </em> had been chosen to deliver this urgent scroll to him. Then again, Amber was busy studying under their father and beginning the transition more and more into Queen Regent, hoping to take over so that Mom and Dad could retire in peace and enjoy their golden years together. And James, James was busy completing his knighthood, having steadily risen through the ranks from page to squire, with the insistence that his royal background not exclude him from all the necessary training. Training he was now doing under the tutelage of Sir Bartleby and Aunt Tilly. Sofia couldn’t help but think somehow there was never a more fitting match made.</p><p>Even so, Sofia realized she’d been standing there for quite some time now, simply watching Mister Cedric as he worked. Well, that wasn’t good, this scroll was supposedly urgent news that needed to get to the royal sorcerer immediately. And while she knew Mister Cedric hated to be disturbed she also knew that he knew he wouldn’t be doing it unless it was actually important. Besides, it looked like he was nearly done with whatever he was doing, hopefully this wouldn’t be too much of an intrusion. Even so, Sofia knocked at one of the tables that were arranged so Cedric could demonstrate potions and spellwork practically, working while teaching as it were. The slight rapping of her fingers against the wood caught his attention without startling him and Cedric paused, glancing over his shoulder to see what the disturbance was. His expression was clear that while he hadn’t been startled, the intrusion was very much less than welcome. Until he saw who it was that had intruded upon him that was. Then all irritation melted to his normal rather prickly but still kindhearted baseline.</p><p>“Oh, Sofia,” he greeted, “It’s been quite some time hasn’t it? What brings you to my secondary workshop?”</p><p>“I was sent by Dad to give you this,” she offered the scroll to him.</p><p>Cedric unfurled the document and his eyes quickly scanned over the words, “Naturally they would, this request is for a creation of extremely potent and delicate nature. I seriously doubt either of your siblings could be trusted to deliver this to me without peeking.”</p><p>“Oh?” Sofia asked one response, “What did Dad ask you to make?”</p><p>“None of your business unfortunately,” Cedric replied, already gathering ingredients together and vanishing whatever mixture he had finished from the cauldron.</p><p>“Oh,” somehow his dismissal of her question stung a little, “Well I guess I'll see you back at the castle then,”</p><p>“Now, now,” Cedric glanced at her once again, “I never said you had to leave. Besides, while an incredibly delicate mixture the process is actually exceedingly simple, so you might as well stay and inform me with your incessant chatter what you've been up to. You haven't been skulking around my tower very much recently, I can only assume there's some sort of royal suitor that's been keeping you busy? Or perhaps just bearing the burden of being a Protector, am I right?”</p><p>“Surprisingly I think Aunt Tilly was right, you really don't meet many people when you're out on daring adventures. Not that the Isles have needed me for too many missions lately. With Prisma and the others serving penance and all everything’s been very quiet.”</p><p>“What <em> have </em> you been up to in that case then?” Cedric asked as he mixed and measured, “When you were younger you couldn't let a free day go by without bothering me.”</p><p>“I don't know,” Sofia shrugged, “I guess I grew up and realized how important your work was. And how important it was not to disturb you. I've been visiting your parents a lot recently. With everyone in the Buttercup troop now fully grown they don't get many visitors these days.”</p><p>“Ah yes, how <em> are </em> my parents?” Cedric asked idly, clearly more engaged with his work than the conversation.</p><p>“They're fine, they wish you'd come and visit more often though,” Sofia said as she put her finger to her lip, “Maybe we should go visit them some time, together,”</p><p>“Oh yes because <em> that </em> won't give them any ideas,” she didn't need to see his expression to know he was rolling his eyes. The action was very much evident in his sarcastic tone, “What else?”</p><p>“Um… nothing much,” Sofia shrugged, “Not that I can recall,”</p><p>“So I suppose you’ve forgotten one of your other many titles then?” if she didn’t know his personality she’d almost say he was annoyed with her. Or maybe he was and it had just been too long for her to tell if this was genuine annoyance or his normal facade.</p><p>“Which one?” she asked him, wanting to clarify. By this point she had a lot of them to keep track of.</p><p>“That of apprentice to the greatest sorcerer in the land, sound familiar?” he asked her, a raised brow and a smirk accompanying his words.</p><p>“Oh!” Sofia felt herself flush, how could she have forgotten when being his apprentice -especially being referred to as his apprentice <em> by </em> Cedric himself- had once been such a source of pride for her, “That’s right! I’m your apprentice!”</p><p>“I see,” Cedric seemed somewhat amused as he worked with incredible efficiency, “But has my apprentice been keeping up with her skills?”</p><p>“Well…”</p><p>“Let’s find out, shall we?” he seemed to pause in what he was doing for the moment, the mixture left to simmer and boil on the cauldron.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Did you forget I have all the spells a graduate of Royal Prep would have learned?” Cedric asked her, with a snap of his fingers holding some sort of manual with the Royal Prep insignia emblazoned on it, “Now,”</p><p>With a wave of his wand there were several objects laid out on the table she was standing next to; a couple of rocks, a lime, a worn out shoe, and a bouncing ball. All of them objects she had practiced magic on in sorcery class almost ten years ago. And he was expecting her to <em> remember </em> these spells? She hadn’t used any of them since she’d graduated, she’d been too busy with her other duties to properly practice the basics of spell-casting, and her shifting feelings had made going to Cedric for tutelage and practice an impossible thing. But he handed her his off the shelf wand (the family wand was used solely for special occasions or extremely powerful spells) and stood back, clearly to keep an eye on the potion as it bubbled.</p><p>Sofia glanced down to the objects that sat before her. She knew that three out of the four objects were based on the transmutation spells, and the ball was for demonstrating the bouncing one. But as for the actual spells themselves, those were a bit more difficult to recall. Sofia hovered the wand over the objects, trying to recall those long ago lessons under his tutelage, the same tutelage that had earned her a gold star on her sorcery test. But it felt like an old and faded painting, something she could see but not make out any true details of.</p><p>As though sensing her hesitation Cedric plucked the wand from her hand, “Perhaps we should start with something a bit more… visceral a memory, yes?”</p><p>“Visceral?” why did the word seem to imply something more when it rolled off his tongue. Was it simply the heat from the cauldron that was causing the temperature to rise? Yes, yes that had to be it.</p><p>“Those lessons forged in fire are far more difficult to forget,” Cedric explained, and with a slight twirl big bouncing bubbles shot from the wand, hovering in the air as he returned the instrument to her, “Now, let’s see if you can recall the lesson I told you to never forget.”</p><p>The lesson he’d told her never to forget. And that was all she needed, the secret being to keep trying until one mastered the spell. Which brought it all back; sorcery class, Hexley Hall Prank Day, the bubbles, and her poor sorcerer magically stuck to a chair leaving them to save the school. She remembered, she remembered the spell,</p><p>“<em>Disappearo</em>!” she cried, waving the wand and pointing it at the bubbles. In a flash they began to pop.</p><p>Cedric raised a brow at her, “So something <em> did </em> stick in that busy little head of yours after all,” he nodded at her, “Very good,”</p><p>Just those simple words of praise made her unable to meet his eyes for some reason. Her heart rate sped up and the wand began to tremble in her grip. Right, the bubbles were taken care of, what about the rest? Let’s see, she remembered what each object was supposed to be turned into, the rock to a ruby, the lime to an emerald, and the leather shoe to a glass slipper. They all shared the same base incantation, that to mutate… mutate…</p><p>She gently tapped the wand to the rock and said, “Mutato rubiero!”</p><p>The stone levitated, wriggled a bit, but fell back to the table with a disappointing clatter. Sofia frowned, what had gone wrong?</p><p>“A valiant effort, marred only by the incantation,” Cedric informed her, “The spell is mutato <em> rubio</em>, try it again,”</p><p>“Right,” she flushed with embarrassment. This was a basic spell for Merlin’s sake! And one he’d already helped her learn! Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves Sofia tried again, this time taking extreme care with her words, “<em>Mutato Rubio</em>!”</p><p>And there it was, a perfect ruby that fell back to the table. Sofia heaved a sigh of relief and looked to Cedric, hoping to see him smiling encouragingly at her improvement and success. But instead he was simply standing there with his arms folded and a brow raised as if to indicate she should continue.</p><p>Thankfully, with the correction of her spell the first time, doing the variants were far easier, “<em>Mutato Emeraldi</em>!” she said transforming the lime into a beautiful emerald, “<em>Mutato Krystallos</em>!” she tapped on the leather shoe turning it into a gorgeous glass slipper.</p><p>And now for the final object. The bouncing spell, “<em>B</em><em>ounciglias</em>!” she exclaimed, gently tapping the ball so that it began to bounce up and down without anyone throwing it.</p><p>Setting the wand aside after halting the spell she looked earnestly at her former teacher. Cedric merely nodded in response, no praise offered for recalling. But then, to him it was important she <em> would </em> know these spells after he’d taken the time out of his day more than once to help her learn and accomplish them. But still, was it really so bad she wanted to hear him say, <em> “Well done Sofia,”</em>, just once?</p><p>“I must say,” Cedric said as he unfolded his arms, “It’s nice to know not everything has been lost to time and,” and here he paused, sneering as he said, “more <em> important </em> matters. As a matter of fact I’m somewhat surprised you were even able to recall <em> any </em> of these spells, since magical scholarship seems to have taken less and less precedence. But I suppose when you have a magic amulet and a fun little bracelet you don’t need to do such boring and trivial things as <em> study</em>, right?”</p><p>“Are you implying I don’t take my magic seriously?” Sofia narrowed her eyes at him. Then she blinked, she certainly hadn’t meant to put the question quite so bluntly, she had more tact than that. All part and parcel of being a princess.</p><p>“I’m implying that you’ve let your instruments do the bulk of the work for you as opposed to actually studying and practicing your craft,” Cedric countered, “You are perhaps one of the few royals, by blood or not, that possesses the innate gift of magic. Where others must conduct their power through enchanted objects you possess a power all your own. But rather than hone it you choose to let the objects gifted to you do your work for you. It shows a lack of discipline and commitment I would never have expected from my apprentice.”</p><p>“I can’t trust <em> those </em> powers!” Sofia shouted at him, “Those are the powers that once turned my whole class into frogs! Those powers do <em> wicked </em> things! And I don’t want to be a wicked princess!”</p><p>“They only do wicked if your intent is so,” Cedric replied cruelly, “Magic on its own is neither good nor evil, it is those that wield it that make such choices. You could be so powerful, and yet you choose to atrophy yourself for the sake of others.”</p><p>“I don’t <em> want </em> to be powerful!” Sofia raged, and in response her amulet began to glow. It was usually an indicator of when her temper was affecting her abilities and so she began to think sunny thoughts to calm down. Taking a deep breath she added, “I’m perfectly fine being a Protector, and nothing more. I don’t need to be a powerful sorceress or magic user.”</p><p>“And why is that?”</p><p>“Because I have <em> you</em>,” Sofia blurted out before she could help herself. It was true, but true to a depth that she wasn’t particularly comfortable with sharing with him</p><p>“But you will not always have me, Princess,” Cedric countered. And something about it rang hollow in her chest. She’d had Cedric as a friend and a confidante for so long the idea of him not being around threatened to break her heart in two. He was like family to her, but… not. Even so the very idea of him leaving, or worse, was enough to bring tears to her eyes.</p><p>“You need to learn how to handle your magic Sofia,” Cedric breathed as he watched her compose herself, “Who knows, you may end up taking my position one day,”</p><p>“But I don’t want that,” Sofia sniffed. Why was she so emotional today? Even when she was upset her emotions weren’t nearly so volatile.</p><p>“We shall see,” Cedric replied, “But I think while this finishes we take the opportunity for a… private lesson, of sorts,”</p><p>“P-private lesson?” she felt heat building in her cheeks. And for some reason the idea of a private lesson in her eyes seemed like it had less to do with magic. At least, not the sort of magic he was undoubtedly referring to.</p><p>“Yes,” Cedric replied, turning to check on the cauldron and taking the lid off before the concoction began to boil over. “But I suppose if it frightens you so, you can always run away,”</p><p>“I… I don’t need to run, I’m not afraid!” Sofia argued with perhaps more bravado than she actually felt.</p><p>“Oh are you?” Cedric raised a brow at her and folded his arms. But rather than call her bluff he added, “Very well then, let’s begin,”</p><p>“What do I need to work on?” Sofia asked, hoping that if she showed interest in which areas he felt she needed to improve he would see how seriously she did in fact take their craft.</p><p>Cedric didn’t answer her immediately, instead simply strode over, coming up behind her and leaning down so that his mouth was close to her ear, “Your wandwork is excellent as always, but you seem to need some practice with your… <em> diction</em>,”</p><p>“D-diction, right,” Sofia couldn’t care less about her pronunciation or diction. It was hard to focus on anything besides the fact that her dear friend and mentor was now far closer than she had ever seen him be with anyone. Her emotions, including the ones she barely realized she <em> had </em> were also bubbling up in response.</p><p>It wasn’t that she’d never noticed Cedric was a handsome man, of course she had. It was fairly obvious and always had been, at least it had to her. And she’d very much enjoyed the way he made magic seem so easy, even when he messed it up. But it was the way any child noticed beauty in people, innocent, naive. It didn't occur to her really that Cedric was a <em> man </em>, he was always just Cedric. The Royal Sorcerer. Her friend. A princess would never think anything more of such beauty, not until she met her Prince Charming. That was the way it was done. And here he was, messing it all up for her.</p><p>“How many times have I told you?” Cedric asked, still far too close to her than any strictly professional, strictly <em> platonic </em> relationship might explain, “If you don't say the words right, you don't get the spell right. And if you can trust my sister Cordelia on anything it's this,” his voice was a husky whisper against the shell of her ear, “Magic is <em> not </em> to be taken lightly.”</p><p>“Ju-just Magic?” Sofia had the feeling there was more to his words than he was letting on. But normally she never would have asked. Not when the feeling she got was something she wasn't sure she was ready for.</p><p>Beyond her own slightly labored breathing cane the sound of the brew bubbling in the cauldron. Hot enough so that steam was visible in the air above it. Whispy tendrils that dissipated into nothingness. Sofia felt nearly at a boil herself. Was that heat transferring?</p><p>“You feel it too, don't you?” Cedric whispered to her.</p><p>“<em> Yes </em> ,” Sofia didn't know precisely what it was she was feeling. All she really knew was that she was feeling it. And truthfully, it didn't matter what <em> it </em> was, only that she felt it, and he did too.</p><p>She heard his breath catch, a mirthless chuckle half escaping him as she felt the strands of his long bangs brush against the part of her shoulder exposed by the neckline of her dress.</p><p>“You should go home,” he said, though he made no move to let her do so. The words had been spoken plainly, frankly, a simple statement of fact. They were dancing on the edge of a cliff, where the only way to go was to fall. And the problem was that neither of them knew what lay at the bottom.</p><p>“I should,” Sofia acknowledged. Mister Cedric was right. They were treading in dangerous waters, but even if he wasn’t barring her way, she wouldn’t go. She was far too curious to know what this was, “But I don’t want to.”</p><p>This heat and frission, a sort of magic all on its own. Sofia had never experienced anything like it before. But she wanted to, even if she didn’t know what it was. She could feel it licking at her insides, causing her to burn from the inside out. It was like she had a fever, but she didn’t feel sick. It was less like the sensation of a cloying heat that rose up from the ground as it clung to her skin and more like, like sitting next to the massive fireplace during Wassalia, where the flames licked against the logs, devouring them and giving off a pleasant warm heat. It was like that, but not. And Sofia couldn’t precisely put a name to what she was feeling or to the cause of the sensations she was experiencing.</p><p>Mister Cedric would know what it was. He was a great sorcerer, and an even better friend. He would know how to help her. Slowly, Sofia braced her hands against the table as she stood. Even with as much as she'd grown, she still felt tiny compared to his lanky height. And yet, tiny and delicate were not associated with the connotation of weakness. Not in this sense. Sofia heard his breathing hitch as she stood. She may not have been able to put a name to what they were feeling, but she knew it was there between them, as palpable as warmth from the sun on a hot summer day.</p><p>Her skirts brushed up against the fabric of his rope as slowly she turned, raising her face so that her eyes could meet him. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to <em> ask </em>, but the words wouldn't come. Stuck in her throat, and in her eyes she pleaded with him to know what she was trying and failing to say. Cedric’s own eyes closed for a moment, and he made an almost pained expression. She could almost hear him muttering his signature phrase for when things went wrong but he could not control what happened.</p><p>“Forgive me,” he rasped. And before she could ask what needed her forgiveness she was crushed against him.</p><p>Though she had never actively considered the scenario of Cedric’s lips on hers Sofia couldn't deny that it felt good. More than good. It felt amazing, or ah!-mazing, as she used to say. Arms which had frozen at his actions slithered up between them until they could curl over his shoulders and twine in his hair. Despite his slight bending to meet her, Sofia still had to rise to the tips of her toes in order to wrap herself around him the way her body demanded she do. Her heart pounded like it threatened to burst from her chest, her lips buzzed and tingled and she wasn't sure if it was because of their magic sparking between them or something else entirely. She felt lightheaded, but in the best of ways. And suddenly, a thousand little things made sense. Clover had been right, she'd had a crush. She'd liked Mister Cedric. <em> Liked </em> him liked him. And she had for quite a while, if her avoidance of him was any indication.</p><p>Breaking apart for air was a tragic necessity, and she panted, shallow breaths that were only done to assuage the burning in her lungs before she dove back in for more. Would there be more? She wanted more. And she found she certainly wasn’t afraid to take it. Sofia yanked Cedric’s face back down to hers and kissed him again. It was addicting, the almost painful swollen feeling in her lips, the taste of someone else on her mouth, without even thinking she licked her lips, licking Cedric’s in the process, and received the wonderful dual sensation of both hearing and feeling the moan he made in response. Mouth open against hers Sofia slipped her tongue inside without even thinking about it. It added a whole new level of urgency and sensuality to their impromptu embrace. Idly, Sofia felt hands, at her back, at her waist, curling in her hair, everywhere. They left burning trails of tingling nerves everywhere in their wake. She wanted more, her own hands sliding down to clutch at the crossing in his robe.</p><p>The next thing she knew was the feeling of the wooden table beneath her. In the dizzying state of kissing someone breathless -and sacrificing your own breath in the process- things inevitably happen without the brain being fully aware of them happening. And that was how Sofia found herself having been hoisted up onto the table, sitting with her poofy skirts ruched up a bit around her legs, and the rest of her leaning back while her sorcerer was busy leaning forward as he kissed her. One of her hands reached to brace herself against the wood, meanwhile the other curled itself back into Cedric’s hair. But then, he broke away from her, though not moving a single step from her body.</p><p>“We should stop,” he panted, though it didn’t go unnoticed that his forehead was still brushing against her own. Except Sofia didn’t want to stop. And when he moved his mouth away from her she settled for the next best thing, peppering kisses along the curve of his jaw, suckling at a spot just under his ear and listening with extreme satisfaction to the low drawn out moan she caused.</p><p>“No,” he tried valiantly to fight her off, brown eyes blown wide with an odd mixture of pleasure and fear, “We need to, we need to <em> stop </em> Sofia,”</p><p>“But I don’t want to,” Sofia pouted. Which was strange, since when was she the pouting type? Normally she simply tried to bury any feelings of disappointment beneath a smile. That was what a princess would do. But despite him being perhaps one of the people most aware of what her status meant, she didn’t feel much like a princess right now. And maybe it was simply his obvious reluctance at playing the good man that made her feel as though it were alright to be selfish, but she knew he wouldn’t call her spoiled if she voiced her true thoughts and feelings on the matter.</p><p>“But we <em> need </em> to,” Cedric managed to get out through his panting. He braced himself on the table, face landing on her shoulder and nestling in the curve of her neck, “You can feel it, can’t you?”</p><p>“Feel what?” Sofia asked. She knew somehow that he wasn’t referring to the passion that had risen between them.</p><p>“The potion,” Cedric hissed, “That’s the cause of all this,”</p><p>“Why?” Sofia countered, “What does the potion do?”</p><p>“It’s an inhibition blocker,” Cedric explained, drawing back so she could once again look fully at her, “Increases the impulse control. Your father has many uses for it, as did your grandfather,”</p><p>“What do they use it for?”</p><p>“Your grandfather used it for the soldiers when wars broke out,” Cedric told her, “You can’t have compassion when there will always be a loser. It made the soldiers unafraid to do their duty, perhaps a little too well.”</p><p>“Wait, my grandfather made those men-” she cut herself off, horrified by the implications.</p><p>“It’s been a violation of peace agreements to use it in martial practices involving inter-kingdom relations for almost fifteen years now,” Cedric assured her, “But before then it was just what was done, because people felt it needed to be. Your father mostly uses it for prisoner interrogation. People find it hard to keep secrets when they don’t much care about social mores.”</p><p>“Then what is it doing to us?”</p><p>“Blocking what we both know is wrong,” Cedric sighed, “I am your family’s royal sorcerer, I’ve known you since you were a child, I am your master when it comes to the ways of magic. In every single one of those situations I am the one who should know better, but I can’t help myself. And neither can you.”</p><p>Sofia didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t want to believe that these new feelings, sensations, emotions were just the product of a potion addled mind. But the outbursts made sense. She knew not to appear selfish, knew how to handle her emotions better, and yet she hadn’t. Because the potion had made her. But had the potion made her feel what she felt when she looked at Mister Cedric now? She didn’t know.</p><p>“Is there a cure?” Sofia asked, wringing her hands to try and keep herself from reaching for him again and kissing him before he could answer.</p><p>Cedric stiffly walked away from her, even grabbing hold of the table near the cauldron to control himself. He turned around to look at her, “As you can already tell the effects, at least when airborne, are not that potent,” it sure hadn’t seemed that way to her, but as her mind seemed to clear more and more she refrained from saying so, “Not as potent as ingesting it at any rate. The effects of merely inhaling the mist of the potion last only a short duration, and it’s already starting to clear from our systems.” he checked on the color of the potion, “And, it seems the concoction itself is almost done.”</p><p>“Okay,” Sofia began awkwardly. It was awkward when one thought about it.</p><p>She’d kissed Cedric. Her family’s royal sorcerer, her magic teacher, her <em> friend </em> . How could it possibly <em> not </em> be awkward? She'd, they'd both crossed a line there. And it wasn't even of their own volition. It was all due to a potion. Sofia felt so embarrassed. And it was silly. Her actions, her very being had been compromised by a potion that dulled the line between thinking, acting, and caring. And besides, <em> he </em> had kissed her <em> first</em>. True, she’d kissed him back, and then kissed him again, and had kissed him deeper, and kissed places besides his mouth... But still! She shouldn’t be feeling the way she was, she should be understanding and more importantly she should be <em> relieved </em> that it was just due to a potion. That it… didn’t mean anything.</p><p>Cedric sighed as he checked over the brew, “Head home Sofia,” he told her, without looking at her.</p><p>“But what about you?” Sofia asked, finally managing to gain the strength back in her legs and slide off the table. He still didn’t look at her, and if anything his motions became even jerkier.</p><p>“I’ll find my own way back to the castle. Inform your father his supplies will be restocked come this evening.”</p><p>“But the flying horse carriage is already-”</p><p>“I <em> said </em> I’ll find my own way back, Princess,” he said coldly, “Now run along, perhaps practice some of your rudimentary spells while you’re at it.”</p><p>Not since she’d first come to the castle had she ever heard him sound so cold. And it hurt her, right down to the heart. She knew he didn’t mean any of it, not truly, but it still hurt to hear the chill in her voice. Clearly, he was upset with her, but she had no idea why. Still, she managed to hold it together until she was safely ensconced in the flying carriage and headed back for the castle in Enchancia.</p><p>StF</p><p>Try as she might Sofia could not settle her mind. She’d been distracted all through dinner, something that had not gone unnoticed by her family. Her mother and Amber had cornered her after the meal and demanded to know what was bothering her. Sofia had been able to fob them off with the truth, or most of it at least. She was suffering some lingering exhaustion after watching Cedric complete the potion for Roland, and just wanted to sleep. She hated lying to them, even if it was simply just a bit of stretched truth, but she couldn’t bear to tell them what happened and watch them blame Cedric, or worse, take it as a sign of something more. Sofia didn’t want the lecture from Amber, about how a princess -even if she wasn’t to be queen- should have higher standards than the help. And of course, she didn’t mean it in a spiteful or mean-spirited way. Amber, for all her flaws, knew more about being royalty even to this day than Sofia did. She would only give what she thought was sound advice. And as for her mother, well, Sofia would be more surprised if she disapproved. It wasn’t like she could talk, having fallen in love with both a sea captain and a king. She of all people would know that affections were not limited by status or standard.</p><p>And of course, this would all be because they would take the story wildly out of focus. Nevermind that their actions had been cause by a potion, Sofia had allowed herself to be kissed by Cedric, had kissed him <em> back </em> . And that was what would take the forefront of their concerns with her. It was something Sofia couldn’t handle right now. Especially when her mind was still trying to decide what it wanted to make of all of this. She had kissed Cedric, under the influence of a potion that clearly made it difficult to recall or even care what right or wrong was. For magic’s sake it was used in <em> warfare </em>, that should be enough to tell her all she needed or wanted to know. There had been nothing but instinct to kiss back, to get more of that warm and fuzzy feeling that had passed between them as they’d been together. There was nothing more behind it, so why did her heart clench at what Sofia knew to be the truth? Why did she worry about her family finding out if it all meant nothing? Both of them could have said as much, she would have done anything to keep Mister Cedric from getting in trouble. And yet…</p><p>Sofia tossed and turned much as she had that first night at the castle. Her bed felt too large and too soft to be comfortable, but she couldn’t simply curl up on the window seat and get some rest there either. She couldn’t stop replaying the events of earlier that afternoon over and over in her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, there it was. And with the memories, came the recalled sensations. The warmth and gentleness of his lips on hers. And she felt the keenest desire to do it again. This was madness, she couldn’t want to kiss her friend. Any misgivings she had about liking him had been explained by the potion’s effects. But it was supposed to have worn off hours ago. So why was she still feeling like this? It was a problem only Cedric himself would likely be able to solve. So, nothing for it. Though she hated to disturb people while they were sleeping this was something that could not be put off or else Sofia wouldn’t be getting any sleep either. So she slipped from her bed, donned a light dressing robe, and set off wandering through the halls.</p><p>One of the benefits to living in a castle was the abundance of large and numerous windows. Entire hallways lined with portals to the outside world. And tonight the moon illuminated her path through them. Carefully she travelled through the silvery blue pools of light until she found her way to the dark foreboding stairwell that led to Cedric’s tower. He’d never mentioned having sleeping quarters elsewhere, and he kept the workshop locked when he wasn’t in residence, so with any luck wherever he rested would also be within the tower. Sofia felt her heart pound and throb painfully as she drew closer and closer to Cedric. Was it the potion attempting to yet again control her actions? Because the way she pictured this meeting going was leading into dangerous territory. She paused outside the tower, trying to calm her heart as she imagined waking him up, he’d probably fallen asleep in the middle of working on something. Regardless, she’d find him asleep at his work table, maybe using a thick and heavy tome as his pillow. And she’d gently tap his shoulder to wake him up. But he’d still be half asleep, thinking it all a dream, some flight of fancy. And then he’d kiss her again. And Sofia, Sofia would kiss him back. And from there… she felt her cheeks heat even daring to imagine it. Sofia shook herself out of the thoughts, she needed an antidote, as the potion was clearly getting worse. Trying the door told her the workshop was, of course, locked. Luckily for her Cedric’s hiding place for his key hadn’t changed since the day she’d arrived. She reached into the toe of the gargoyle and retrieved the key. With a soft snick the door unlocked. Inside it was dark, darker than the hallways, with only a single window affording her a silver of moonlight to guide herself with. And Cedric was nowhere to be seen. Wonderful, Sofia felt her heart sink. Would she be doomed to be like this forever if she couldn’t find her sorcerer? At the very least she would have to suffer for the rest of the night. And Sofia didn’t think she’d be able to face him if she had to go through that. No, better to find him and risk his irritation at his rest being disturbed than suffer through this mental torment even a second longer.</p><p>She crept around the workspace, knowing his living quarters had to be somewhere. He had plenty of places to hide things, to store them, to keep them out of sight. Perhaps the door to his chambers was also hidden. That would make sense. Couldn’t lose the veneer of mystique that the royal sorcerer was in fact human and needed human things, like food and rest. As a matter of fact Sofia couldn’t ever recall a time when she’d seen Cedric eating. He’d certainly never dined with them, not even at the Enchanted Feasts. Let alone rest, she’d seen him perpetually anxious and exhausted, but she couldn’t ever recall him being caught sleeping. Not beyond the time her dancing spell had been a sleeping spell in disguise. Belatedly Sofia wondered if that had been an attempt to steal her amulet as well, gone wrong because of his own presence in the ballroom. It didn’t matter, she supposed, he’d more than made up for his past misdeeds in her eyes.</p><p>Still, the circular room looked completely whole except for the door which led out of the tower completely. She knew of course that hidden somewhere there was a backdoor which led to the courtyard as opposed to the castle, but she was at a loss as to where to find it. Sure, she still had her which way bow, but it seemed a bit redundant to use it when she was certain that he was in fact <em> here </em> in the tower, she just wasn’t quite sure how to get at him.</p><p>“Oh, I wish I could find Mister Cedric,” she whispered to herself.</p><p>It wasn't a request meant in seriousness, but magic obeyed the letter of the law, and very rarely the spirit. Said was said and all of that. And yet, something happened.</p><p>Her amulet began to glow, lighting up the darkness and even lifting a bit off her chest, pulled in a direction as if attached by a string. With each step Sofia took, following the glow, it seemed to pull stronger and stronger. She had caught something, and now it was pulling back. She noticed an almost hidden doorway, open with steps leading into blackness below. But the glow of her amulet cast light into the darkness, and she slowly picked her way down the steps. At the bottom there appeared to be a set of living quarters, a desk, a wardrobe, and most importantly, a bed. Well, it wasn’t so much the bed that was important as the fact that it was indeed occupied. And that it was occupied by Cedric.</p><p>He looked so cute, sleep tousled, sleep deprived, Sofia almost hated time disturb him. But when the thought occurred that she could always soften the blow by kissing him awake she knew she needed to do this regardless. This had to be stopped, for both their sakes. The amulet stopped glowing, once again plunging the room into darkness. But at least now she had a good layout of her proximity to everything. Biting her lip Sofia reached for his shoulder and gently started prodding,</p><p>“Mister Cedric?” She whispered, hoping to do this as gently as possible. When he continued to snooze, however, she knew she'd have to be a bit rude, just this once, “Mister Cedric!”</p><p>With a snort and a start he woke, bolting upright in his bed. Blearily he peered around into the darkness, wondering who or what could have woken him. Just as instantly, Sofia knew he'd be reaching for his wand.</p><p>“Shh! Don't hex me!” She pled, “It’s me,”</p><p>He heaved a sigh both of relief that it was no real threat and annoyance at having been woken up, “Sofia,” he said, “What is it you could possibly want at this hour?”</p><p>“I need an antidote,” Sofia told him.</p><p>“Antidote?” He seemed confused, though that was probably due to his sudden waking, “For what?”</p><p>“The potion you brewed earlier,” Sofia told him, “It’s not gone.”</p><p>“What in the known kingdoms are you talking about?” Cedric asked her, “You didn't ingest any of it, did you?”</p><p>“What? No,” Sofia told him.</p><p>“Then there's nothing to cure,” she heard the bedsheets rustle a bit as he seemed determined to go back to bed, “In it's gaseous form the effects are not long lasting. They certainly wouldn't be affecting you by now.”</p><p>“Please don't go back to sleep Mister Cedric,” Sofia begged him, “I really need your help,”</p><p>“Sofia,” he hushed her, “There is nothing that can be done. Whatever your issue is, it's not because of the potion. Now please, go back to bed.”</p><p>“Tell me you aren't feeling it then,” Sofia countered, “If you're feeling nothing then I’ll know it's all in my head.”</p><p>There was silence for a moment, followed by a low chuckle, that almost sounded pained.</p><p>“Sofia,” she loved it when he said her name like that. Low, intimate, no titles getting in the way of how he caresses the syllables, like each one was precious, “What I am feeling right now is not due to any potion I could ever conjure.”</p><p>Her voice came out a strangled whisper, part of her knowing what he meant but most of her still not understanding exactly what that was, “What?”</p><p>Another sigh, this one of resignation, “Please Sofia,” he sounded like he was the one begging her now, “This is dangerous. Just go back to bed, and we can sort this out in the morning-”</p><p>“I wouldn't have come if I didn't need it solved now,” Sofia argued, “Please,” she begged one final time, “There must be something you can do.”</p><p>“If you continue to stay here,” Cedric warned, “I cannot be held responsible for my actions.”</p><p>“Then you're still under the effects of the potion too!” She pointed out, “I knew it couldn't just be-”</p><p>Any other words she might have said were silenced as he grabbed her wrist, dragged her into his lap, and pressed his lips against hers in the darkness. It wasn’t as though she’d never been close to Cedric before now. Notably when she had been younger she had been overly keen to pull him into hugs. But there was a serious difference to hugging people when you're a child who barely reaches their waist and when you have several thick layers of fabric between the two of you, and this. The thin layers of their night clothes and the heat of skin that could be felt between them. The lips at her own were harsh, demanding, insistent that she yield to him. Sofia opened her mouth on a gasp as she felt his long and lean fingers against the relatively thin material of her night dress.</p><p>Cedric broke apart and panted against her mouth, leaning his forehead against her own. Sofia’s fingers were clutched tightly to his shoulders. There was nothing in the quiet darkness except the sounds of their own ragged breathing for a few minutes. Then he sighed,</p><p>“Do you still not understand Sofia?” Cedric asked her.</p><p>“I want to,” Sofia answered, not daring to bring her voice above a whisper for fear it would shatter the warmth of the moment and he would throw her out, as cold and harsh and closed off as he had been when she had first met him all those years ago.</p><p>“How can I say it?” Cedric lamented, “I could be executed for even admitting any of this to you.”</p><p>“You don't have to tell me,” Sofia whispered back, “But I want to understand why I'm feeling like this, why I <em> want </em> this… I mean, I thought it was something more before and then you told me it was because of the potion and now… now I don't know what to think. What happened between us Mister Cedric?” She was sure even in the dark he could see the way her eyes shined with the desire to know, the pleading look of wanting to be taken seriously.</p><p>“This isn't because of any potion,” Cedric told her, “This is how I've been feeling, what I've been <em> yearning </em> for… for… for a while now.”</p><p>The admission, as simple as it was, was as though the last piece of a puzzle was sliding into place. The picture became clear. She liked Cedric, and she had for a while.</p><p>“I… I wanted it too.” Sofia admitted back to him.</p><p>“Don't try to placate me Sofia,” Cedric’s voice was now cold, though she noticed he made no move to extricate himself from her.</p><p>“I’m not!” Sofia argued, “I don’t know what I’m trying to say here, but I know that it’s the same thing you’ve told me. I’ve always admired you Mister Cedric, and it tore me apart when you tried to deny our friendship and take over the kingdom. But you’ve grown so much, done so much, you never needed a kingdom, you just needed a friend. And I wanted to be that friend,”</p><p>“Then why are you here now Sofia,” Cedric asked her.</p><p>“I…” Sofia bit her lip, “I don’t know what you mean?”</p><p>“Sofia, do you know what it is that you want?” Cedric asked her after a moment, “I mean, do you know what you really, truly want? You’ve always done everything to help everyone. But have you ever been selfish? Have you ever wanted something for your own so badly you’d do just about anything to get it, or keep it?”</p><p>She was silent a moment, then a soft whisper, “I don’t know,”</p><p>“Well I do,” Cedric told her, “I know what that feeling is like. For the longest time all I wanted was for the power to take control of the kingdom, the ability to prove that I was capable of greatness. That my name would be worth remembering.” he sounded strained just talking about it, even as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the curve of her shoulder, “But I don’t want that anymore. All I want, all I have wanted for <em> years </em> now, is you. Just you, Princess Sofia. Even if I know it’s foolish to believe you would ever want me too.”</p><p>“But it’s not,” Sofia said softly, as though it were a realization she herself was just now experiencing.</p><p>“And there’s that bleeding heart that the whole kingdom adores,” Cedric said self-depreciatingly, “Always trying to spare everyone’s feelings,”</p><p>“But I’m not,” Sofia said quickly, mind still racing with all the little things, the little actions she’d performed over the years.</p><p>How she had tried her best to help Cedric gain confidence in himself and in his magic, how she had turned to him as much as she could because she knew he would be able to live up to her hopes and expectations of him. The things she had done just to make him happy, the times he had made <em> her </em> happy. Repairing his relationships with his father and sister, entering that contest to meet Merlin just so he could come along and meet his hero, taking Calista with them and all the chaos that had ensued but that she wouldn’t have traded a moment of for anything. The feeling of suspicion and distrust only growing with Sascha the Sorceress when she saw how taken Cedric had been with her. The relief that had followed when her showing him up at the Enchanted Feast had caused all interest in the faux enchantress to disappear. It was a feeling Sofia now recognized to be jealousy, she had been jealous that Miss Nettle, as Sascha, had been able to enthrall the sorcerer in a way that she hadn’t been able to compete with.</p><p>Not only that, Sofia recalled that no one had ever turned her eye, no prince had ever caught her fancy, nor princess either. And it wasn’t even something that was limited to royalty. She couldn’t think of a single person in any of the villages of Enchancia, or creature on the Mystic Isles she could really picture herself falling in love with. Though she’d never given much thought to it to begin with, but then it seemed that just like Baileywick, Cedric would always be a fixture of the castle. But to imagine life here without him, that this tower might one day be occupied by someone else… Sofia didn’t want that. She didn’t want that at all.</p><p>Which meant, what she <em> did </em> want; what she wanted more than anything else, was Cedric. She liked Cedric. Perhaps she’d always liked Cedric, and that had been why she’d sought him out. He was the one person she could be selfish for, selfish about. Even though she wasn’t entirely sure of how to want him the way he seemed to want her.</p><p>But her silence didn’t seem to bode well for Cedric, she felt his tenseness through his posture. Cedric was never one to be reassured by words, hence why he seldom believed her when she told him she thought he was the greatest sorcerer there ever was. Actions tended to be the way to get him to understand, like when she’d purposefully gotten herself turned into a lizard so that he could save her in front of her father and King Magnus. And so, that was exactly what Sofia did, she leaned forward in the dark and kissed him. There was no potion, on them or hanging over them. This was just them, Sofia and Cedric, not Princess and Royal Sorcerer, not estranged Master and Apprentice. Just them, and that was all they wanted.</p><p>Sofia felt the heat that passed between them, especially as his hands stroked up and down her spine as they kissed. It was a precursor to something big, but she still didn’t know what it was. Panting, she broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his. Her heart was pounding, and she felt a tingling spreading everywhere in her body, though it seemed to settle low in her belly. What was it though? She needed to be able to name this feeling.</p><p>“Cedric,” her voice sounded harsh, broken, hoarse as she whispered against his ear, “What is this? Is it love?”</p><p>“I love you,” Cedric informed her, “But what you’re feeling at precisely this moment is something not unrelated but perhaps different.”</p><p>“What is it?” Sofia implored him to tell her. He knew. She knew he knew, and she wanted him to tell her, to show her.</p><p>“What you’re feeling is something that can come as a result of love, or not,” Cedric explained, hands still roaming her form and relishing in the feeling of her skin separated from his touch by only a couple thin layers of fabric, “What you’re feeling is,” he began to pant as Sofia began to wriggle, trying to appease the ache and the tingles that felt more and more like she was burning from the inside out and eliciting some likely unintended on her end reactions from him, “<em>Desire</em>,” he rasped against her ear.</p><p>He was in pain, in pain from how much he wanted her. How close she was and yet how far because of her innocence. She had asked him what it was that she was feeling. Which meant she didn’t know. He could get in serious trouble for daring to do so much as kiss her when they weren’t officially courting, let alone what she was unknowingly inciting him to do.</p><p>“Desire?” Sofia asked through her labored breathing, “What- what is that?”</p><p>“I can show you,” Cedric promised her, “Would you like to learn?”</p><p>“Yes,” Sofia hissed, clutching him tightly.</p><p>“Well then,” Cedric said, pulling her close and then rolling her over so that her back was against the bed while he hovered over her, “Allow me to give you a… <em> private lesson</em>.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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